Improvement in water-wheels



M. FLANIGAN.

Improvemen in Water-Wheels. y NU` Till-,6529. l Patented May9, 187l.

anta sito @that @da Letters Patent No. 114,659, dated May 9, 1,871.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-WHEE LS.

The Schedule referred ,to in these Letters Patent and making part of the same.

To whom it may concern Beit known that I, MARK FLANIGAN, of. Detroit,

-- in the 'county of Wayne and State of Michigan, have invented va new and useful Improvement in Water-- Wheels; and I do declare that the'followiug isl a true 4and accurate description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawing audto the letters of reference marked thereon and being apart of this specification, in which-.-

Figure-1 is-a perspective viewof the incased wheels and their gearing;

Figure 2 is a perspective View of the wheels-and gearing in their relative positions, with the case removed; and Y Figure 3`V is a vertical longitudinalseotion ofthe case.

Like letters ind-icate like parts iu each figure.

The nature of this invention'relates to certain improvements in the construction and method of ernploying double turbine water-wheels, and 'consists in the new. and peculiar' arrangement ina single case of two wheels, the lfirst a direct-action and the second a reaction-wheel, -taking and utilizing the dischargewater of the rst, and the spur-Wheel of each wheelshaft meshing with a pinion or pinions ou a third shaft, whereby the powertleveloped by both wheels is directly com munieated to the th-ird shaft, while the water vented is the amount actually used by the direct- .action wheel.

The ladvantage of this arrangement of the wheel is, that,` after the direct-'action wheel has developed its full per cent. of the spouting power of the'watcr used, the reactive weight-power of the water discharged bythe first sutilized bythe secoudwheel, -and through proper gearing transmitted to the third shaft for distribution.

In the drawing- A represents vthe wheel-case in the form of two cylinders intersecting each other, with their intersecting walls out away, to form a single chamber, of-which'- A is the cover; Y

A1, the direct-action chamber; and

Az, the reaction wheel-chamber, the latter being deeper than the former, as shown.

-Ihe'chambe1"-A2 is open .at the bottom, and the remainder, with a bottom-plate a, inclined 'toward the lower part of the other chamber.

The direct-action case is provided with gates b, of anysuitable form, and'operated in any convenient `manner.-

' B is a direct-actionwheel in the well-known form v shown, secured-to the shaft C, rotating ou-the step c,

rising from the bottom-plate of the chamber A.

`The shaft C passes up through a frame, l), rising from the top of the case, and carries a spur-wheel, E.

The wheel B' rotates iu the case A1 above the encircling ange d, discharging its water into the adj oining chamber.

F is thereaction wheel-shaft rotating on the step e, on the bridge-tree G, at the bottom of the chamber A2. y

H is a reaction-Wheel,` dish-shaped, as shown,- and V`secured-to the lower part of the shaft F.

The bucketsl or blades are set at an angle of twentytwo and one-half degrees inclination from the perpendicular, and their width is twice`.their height.

. This wheel receives the water discharged from the rs't, and its ,buckets being .arranged asabove described, whilethe water passes down, sayoue foot,

the wheel will'travel two feet.

I is aspur-wheel at the top of the shaft F, meshing with a pinion, J', Ion a third shaft, K, stepped 'on one side of the cover, or conveniently near the case.

`O n'this third shaft is another pinion, L, with which the spur-'wheel oi' the shaft C meshes.

As the reaction-wheel rotates 'with twice `the velocity that the direct-action wheel does, thediameters of the spur-wheels andpinions are so calculated that the gearing of either water-wheel, would rotate the third shaft at the same speed.

Thus, neither wheel is a dragon the other; onthe contrary, after the full per cent. ofthe spouting power of the wat-er gated to the direct-action wheel is utilized by -it and transmitted to the third shaft, the weight of the discharge-water reacts on t-he second wheel in passing through it, the sum of thereactive power so developed being also transmitted to the third shaft, to be added to the power developed by the direct-action wheel, less the tritlingamount absorbed in the friction bf thetransmittiug gearing; nor 'does thc'reactiouwheelact as a contraotedissue to the direct-action wheel to lessen its power; ou the contrary, the arrangement 4of its buckets, causing it to rotate with 'double the speed of the direct-action wheel, vents thel water fast venough to keep up asuction fromv the direct-action wheel.

I broadly disclaim the invention of the wheels, as bothare old and in common use; but

What I doclaim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. rIhe combination `of, the direct-action wheel and the reaction-wheel within the case, said wheels carrying gear-wheels of diameters proportioned Vto Itheir respective powers, said gear-wheels meshing with and impelliug a common pinion or pinions upon a common shaft; all substantially as shown and described.

v2,. The wheel-case A, constructed and arranged for the reception of independent, direct, and reactionwheels, substantially as described. v, Witnesses:` MARK. FLANIGAN.

MARTHA STEWART, FREDERICK Enn'rs. 

